Method and system for wireless communication utilizing on-package leaky wave antennas

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for wireless communication utilizing on-package leaky wave antennas (LWAs) are disclosed and may include communicating wireless signals via an RF digital bus between integrated circuit packages in a wireless device utilizing LWAs integrated in metal layers in the plurality of packages. A resonant frequency of the LWAs may be configured utilizing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) deflection. A plurality of the LWAs may be configured to enable beam-forming. The LWAs may include microstrip or coplanar waveguides wherein a cavity height of the LWAs is dependent on spacing between conductive lines in the waveguides. The LWAs may be configured to transmit the wireless signals at a desired angle from a surface of the packages. The packages may be affixed to one or more printed circuit boards. An integrated circuit may be flip-chip-bonded to one or more of the packages.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application makes reference to, claims the benefit from, and claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/246,618 filed onSep. 29, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/185,245filed on Jun. 9, 2009.

This application also makes reference to:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,212 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,295 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,277 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,192 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,224 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,176 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,246 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,292 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,324 filed on Dec. 30, 2009;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/708,366 filed on Feb. 18, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,550 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,768 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,759 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,593 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,772 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,777 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,782 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,792 filed on Mar. 31, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/790,279 filed on May 28, 2010;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21212U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21215U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21216U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21217U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21219U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21221U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21223U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21224U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21225U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21226U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21228U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21229U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21234U502)filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21235U502)filed on even date herewith; andU.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 21236U502)filed on even date herewith.

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[Not Applicable]

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

[Not Applicable]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communication.More specifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to amethod and system for wireless communication utilizing on-package leakywave antennas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mobile communications have changed the way people communicate and mobilephones have been transformed from a luxury item to an essential part ofevery day life. The use of mobile phones is today dictated by socialsituations, rather than hampered by location or technology. While voiceconnections fulfill the basic need to communicate, and mobile voiceconnections continue to filter even further into the fabric of every daylife, the mobile Internet is the next step in the mobile communicationrevolution. The mobile Internet is poised to become a common source ofeveryday information, and easy, versatile mobile access to this datawill be taken for granted.

As the number of electronic devices enabled for wireline and/or mobilecommunications continues to increase, significant efforts exist withregard to making such devices more power efficient. For example, a largepercentage of communications devices are mobile wireless devices andthus often operate on battery power. Additionally, transmit and/orreceive circuitry within such mobile wireless devices often account fora significant portion of the power consumed within these devices.Moreover, in some conventional communication systems, transmittersand/or receivers are often power inefficient in comparison to otherblocks of the portable communication devices. Accordingly, thesetransmitters and/or receivers have a significant impact on battery lifefor these mobile wireless devices.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth inthe remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method for wireless communication utilizing on-packageleaky wave antennas as shown in and/or described in connection with atleast one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Various advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention,as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be morefully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless system with leakywave antennas integrated on integrated circuit packages, which may beutilized in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary leaky wave antenna,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a plan view of exemplarypartially reflective surfaces, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependence ofa leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary in-phase andout-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a leaky wave antenna withvariable input impedance feed points, in accordance with an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view ofcoplanar and microstrip waveguides, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an integratedcircuit package with integrated leaky wave antennas, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating package-to-package wireless RFdigital bus communication utilizing leaky wave antennas, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary steps for wirelesscommunication via leaky wave antennas integrated in integrated circuitpackages, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain aspects of the invention may be found in a method and system forwireless communication utilizing on-package leaky wave antennas.Exemplary aspects of the invention may comprise communicating wirelesssignals via an RF digital bus between integrated circuit packages in awireless device utilizing leaky wave antennas integrated in metal layersin the plurality of integrated circuit packages. A resonant frequency ofthe leaky wave antennas may be configured utilizingmicro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) deflection. A plurality of theleaky wave antennas may be configured to enable beam-forming. The leakywave antennas may comprise microstrip waveguides wherein a cavity heightof the leaky wave antennas is dependent on a spacing between conductivelines in the microstrip waveguides. The leaky wave antennas may comprisecoplanar waveguides, wherein a cavity height of the leaky wave antennasis dependent on a spacing between conductive lines in the coplanarwaveguides. The leaky wave antennas may be configured to transmit thewireless signals at a desired angle from a surface of the integratedcircuit packages. The integrated circuit packages may be affixed to oneor more printed circuit boards. An integrated circuit may beflip-chip-bonded to one or more of the integrated circuit packages.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless system with leakywave antennas integrated on integrated circuit packages, which may beutilized in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIG. 1, the wireless device 150 may comprise an antenna 151, atransceiver 152, a baseband processor 154, a processor 156, a systemmemory 158, a logic block 160, a chip 162, leaky wave antennas 164,switches 165, an external headset port 166, and integrated circuitpackages 167A-167D. The wireless device 150 may also comprise an analogmicrophone 168, integrated hands-free (IHF) stereo speakers 170, aprinted circuit board 171, a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil 174, adual digital microphone 176, a vibration transducer 178, a keypad and/ortouchscreen 180, and a display 182.

The transceiver 152 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to modulate and upconvertbaseband signals to RF signals for transmission by one or more antennas,which may be represented generically by the antenna 151. The transceiver152 may also be enabled to downconvert and demodulate received RFsignals to baseband signals. The RF signals may be received by one ormore antennas, which may be represented generically by the antenna 151,or the leaky wave antennas 164. Different wireless systems may usedifferent antennas for transmission and reception. The transceiver 152may be enabled to execute other functions, for example, filtering thebaseband and/or RF signals, and/or amplifying the baseband and/or RFsignals. Although a single transceiver 152 is shown, the invention isnot so limited. Accordingly, the transceiver 152 may be implemented as aseparate transmitter and a separate receiver. In addition, there may bea plurality of transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers. In thisregard, the plurality of transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers mayenable the wireless device 150 to handle a plurality of wirelessprotocols and/or standards including cellular, WLAN and PAN. Wirelesstechnologies handled by the wireless device 150 may comprise GSM, CDMA,CDMA2000, WCDMA, GMS, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, WLAN, 3GPP, UMTS, BLUETOOTH,and ZigBee, for example.

The baseband processor 154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to process basebandsignals for transmission via the transceiver 152 and/or the basebandsignals received from the transceiver 152. The processor 156 may be anysuitable processor or controller such as a CPU, DSP, ARM, or any type ofintegrated circuit processor. The processor 156 may comprise suitablelogic, circuitry, and/or code that may be enabled to control theoperations of the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. Forexample, the processor 156 may be utilized to update and/or modifyprogrammable parameters and/or values in a plurality of components,devices, and/or processing elements in the transceiver 152 and/or thebaseband processor 154. At least a portion of the programmableparameters may be stored in the system memory 158.

Control and/or data information, which may comprise the programmableparameters, may be transferred from other portions of the wirelessdevice 150, not shown in FIG. 1, to the processor 156. Similarly, theprocessor 156 may be enabled to transfer control and/or datainformation, which may include the programmable parameters, to otherportions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, which may bepart of the wireless device 150.

The processor 156 may utilize the received control and/or datainformation, which may comprise the programmable parameters, todetermine an operating mode of the transceiver 152. For example, theprocessor 156 may be utilized to select a specific frequency for a localoscillator, a specific gain for a variable gain amplifier, configure thelocal oscillator and/or configure the variable gain amplifier foroperation in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.Moreover, the specific frequency selected and/or parameters needed tocalculate the specific frequency, and/or the specific gain value and/orthe parameters, which may be utilized to calculate the specific gain,may be stored in the system memory 158 via the processor 156, forexample. The information stored in system memory 158 may be transferredto the transceiver 152 from the system memory 158 via the processor 156.

The system memory 158 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to store a plurality ofcontrol and/or data information, including parameters needed tocalculate frequencies and/or gain, and/or the frequency value and/orgain value. The system memory 158 may store at least a portion of theprogrammable parameters that may be manipulated by the processor 156.

The logic block 160 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interface(s), and/or code that may enable controlling of variousfunctionalities of the wireless device 150. For example, the logic block160 may comprise one or more state machines that may generate signals tocontrol the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. The logicblock 160 may also comprise registers that may hold data forcontrolling, for example, the transceiver 152 and/or the basebandprocessor 154. The logic block 160 may also generate and/or store statusinformation that may be read by, for example, the processor 156.Amplifier gains and/or filtering characteristics, for example, may becontrolled by the logic block 160.

The BT radio/processor 163 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic,interface(s), and/or code that may enable transmission and reception ofBluetooth signals. The BT radio/processor 163 may enable processingand/or handling of BT baseband signals. In this regard, the BTradio/processor 163 may process or handle BT signals received and/or BTsignals transmitted via a wireless communication medium. The BTradio/processor 163 may also provide control and/or feedback informationto/from the baseband processor 154 and/or the processor 156, based oninformation from the processed BT signals. The BT radio/processor 163may communicate information and/or data from the processed BT signals tothe processor 156 and/or to the system memory 158. Moreover, the BTradio/processor 163 may receive information from the processor 156and/or the system memory 158, which may be processed and transmitted viathe wireless communication medium a Bluetooth headset, for example

The CODEC 172 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s),and/or code that may process audio signals received from and/orcommunicated to input/output devices. The input devices may be within orcommunicatively coupled to the wireless device 150, and may comprise theanalog microphone 168, the stereo speakers 170, the hearing aidcompatible (HAC) coil 174, the dual digital microphone 176, and thevibration transducer 178, for example. The CODEC 172 may be operable toup-convert and/or down-convert signal frequencies to desired frequenciesfor processing and/or transmission via an output device. The CODEC 172may enable utilizing a plurality of digital audio inputs, such as 16 or18-bit inputs, for example. The CODEC 172 may also enable utilizing aplurality of data sampling rate inputs. For example, the CODEC 172 mayaccept digital audio signals at sampling rates such as 8 kHz, 11.025kHz, 12 kHz, 16 kHz, 22.05 kHz, 24 kHz, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and/or 48 kHz.The CODEC 172 may also support mixing of a plurality of audio sources.For example, the CODEC 172 may support audio sources such as generalaudio, polyphonic ringer, I²S FM audio, vibration driving signals, andvoice. In this regard, the general audio and polyphonic ringer sourcesmay support the plurality of sampling rates that the audio CODEC 172 isenabled to accept, while the voice source may support a portion of theplurality of sampling rates, such as 8 kHz and 16 kHz, for example.

The chip 162 may comprise an integrated circuit with multiple functionalblocks integrated within, such as the transceiver 152, the processor156, the baseband processor 154, the BT radio/processor 163, and theCODEC 172. The number of functional blocks integrated in the chip 162 isnot limited to the number shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, any number ofblocks may be integrated on the chip 162 depending on chip space andwireless device 150 requirements, for example. The chip 162 may beflip-chip bonded, for example, to the package 167A, as described furtherwith respect to FIG. 8.

The leaky wave antennas 164 may comprise a resonant cavity with a highlyreflective surface and a lower reflectivity surface, and may beintegrated in and/or on the package 167. In addition, leaky waveantennas may be integrated on each of the packages 167A-167D, therebyenabling communication between the packages. The lower reflectivitysurface may allow the resonant mode to “leak” out of the cavity. Thelower reflectivity surface of the leaky wave antennas 164 may beconfigured with slots in a metal surface, or a pattern of metal patches,as described further in FIGS. 2 and 3. The physical dimensions of theleaky wave antennas 164 may be configured to optimize bandwidth oftransmission and/or the beam pattern radiated. By integrating the leakywave antennas 164 on the package 167 and/or the packages 167B-164D, thedimensions of the leaky wave antennas 164 may not be limited by the sizeof the chip 162.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164may comprise a plurality of leaky wave antennas integrated in and/or onthe packages 167A-167D. The leaky wave antennas 164 may be operable totransmit and/or receive wireless signals at or near 60 GHz, for example,due to the cavity length of the devices being on the order ofmillimeters. The leaky wave antennas 164 may be configured to transmitat different frequencies by integrating leaky wave antennas withdifferent cavity height in the packages 167A-167D.

The switches 165 may comprise switches such as CMOS or MEMS switchesthat may be operable to switch different antennas of the leaky waveantennas 164 to the transceiver 152 and/or switch elements in and/or outof the leaky wave antennas 164, such as the patches and slots describedin FIG. 3.

The external headset port 166 may comprise a physical connection for anexternal headset to be communicatively coupled to the wireless device150. The analog microphone 168 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic,interface(s), and/or code that may detect sound waves and convert themto electrical signals via a piezoelectric effect, for example. Theelectrical signals generated by the analog microphone 168 may compriseanalog signals that may require analog to digital conversion beforeprocessing.

The packages 167A-167D may comprise a ceramic package, a printed circuitboard, or other support structure for the chip 162 and other componentsof the wireless device 150. In this regard, the chip 162 may be bondedto the package 167A. The packages 167A-167D may comprise insulating andconductive material, for example, and may provide isolation betweenelectrical components mounted on the package packages 167A-167D. Byintegrating leaky wave antennas on the packages 167A-167D, wirelesscommunication via an RF digital bus between the packages 167A-167D maybe enabled, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for wire traceswith stray impedances that reduce the distance signals may becommunicated at higher frequencies, such as 60 GHz, for example.

The stereo speakers 170 may comprise a pair of speakers that may beoperable to generate audio signals from electrical signals received fromthe CODEC 172. The HAC coil 174 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic,and/or code that may enable communication between the wireless device150 and a T-coil in a hearing aid, for example. In this manner,electrical audio signals may be communicated to a user that utilizes ahearing aid, without the need for generating sound signals via aspeaker, such as the stereo speakers 170, and converting the generatedsound signals back to electrical signals in a hearing aid, andsubsequently back into amplified sound signals in the user's ear, forexample.

The dual digital microphone 176 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic,interface(s), and/or code that may be operable to detect sound waves andconvert them to electrical signals. The electrical signals generated bythe dual digital microphone 176 may comprise digital signals, and thusmay not require analog to digital conversion prior to digital processingin the CODEC 172. The dual digital microphone 176 may enable beamformingcapabilities, for example.

The vibration transducer 178 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic,interface(s), and/or code that may enable notification of an incomingcall, alerts and/or message to the wireless device 150 without the useof sound. The vibration transducer may generate vibrations that may bein synch with, for example, audio signals such as speech or music.

In operation, control and/or data information, which may comprise theprogrammable parameters, may be transferred from other portions of thewireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, to the processor 156.Similarly, the processor 156 may be enabled to transfer control and/ordata information, which may include the programmable parameters, toother portions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, whichmay be part of the wireless device 150.

The processor 156 may utilize the received control and/or datainformation, which may comprise the programmable parameters, todetermine an operating mode of the transceiver 152. For example, theprocessor 156 may be utilized to select a specific frequency for a localoscillator, a specific gain for a variable gain amplifier, configure thelocal oscillator and/or configure the variable gain amplifier foroperation in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.Moreover, the specific frequency selected and/or parameters needed tocalculate the specific frequency, and/or the specific gain value and/orthe parameters, which may be utilized to calculate the specific gain,may be stored in the system memory 158 via the processor 156, forexample. The information stored in system memory 158 may be transferredto the transceiver 152 from the system memory 158 via the processor 156.

The CODEC 172 in the wireless device 150 may communicate with theprocessor 156 in order to transfer audio data and control signals.Control registers for the CODEC 172 may reside within the processor 156.The processor 156 may exchange audio signals and control information viathe system memory 158. The CODEC 172 may up-convert and/or down-convertthe frequencies of multiple audio sources for processing at a desiredsampling rate.

The leaky wave antennas 164 may be operable to transmit and/or receivewireless signals via an RF digital bus between and among the packages167A-167D. In this manner, lossy digital bus lines may be reduced and/oreliminated. Resonant cavities may be configured between reflectivesurfaces in and/or on the packages 167A-167D so that signals may betransmitted and/or received from any location on the packages 167A-167Dwithout requiring large areas needed for conventional antennas andassociated circuitry.

The frequency of the transmission and/or reception may be determined bythe cavity height of the leaky wave antennas 164. Accordingly, thereflective surfaces may be integrated at different heights or lateralspacing in the package, thereby configuring leaky wave antennas withdifferent resonant frequencies.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the resonant cavityfrequency of the leaky wave antennas 164 may be configured by tuning thecavity height using MEMS actuation. Accordingly, a bias voltage may beapplied such that one or both of the reflective surfaces of the leakywave antennas 164 may be deflected by the applied potential. In thismanner, the cavity height, and thus the resonant frequency of thecavity, may be configured. Similarly, the patterns of slots and/orpatches in the partially reflected surface may be configured by theswitches 165.

The leaky wave antennas 164 may be operable to transmit and/or receivesignals between and among the packages 167A-167D. In this manner, highfrequency traces to an external antenna, such as the antenna 151, may bereduced and/or eliminated for higher frequency signals. By communicatinga signal to be transmitted from the chip 162 to the leaky wave antennas164 through bump bonds coupling the chip 162 to the package 167A orother chips to the packages 167B-167D, high frequency traces may befurther reduced.

Different frequency signals may be transmitted and/or received by theleaky wave antennas 164 by selectively coupling the transceiver 152 toleaky wave antennas with different cavity heights. For example, leakywave antennas with reflective surfaces on the top and the bottom of thepackages 167A-167D may have the largest cavity height, and thus providethe lowest resonant frequency. Conversely, leaky wave antennas with areflective surface on the surface of the packages 167A-167D and anotherreflective surface just below the surface of the packages 167A-167D, mayprovide a higher resonant frequency. The selective coupling may beenabled by the switches 165 and/or CMOS devices in the chip 162.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary leaky wave antenna,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2,there is shown the leaky wave antennas 164 comprising a partiallyreflective surface 201A, a reflective surface 201B, and a feed point203. The space between the partially reflective surface 201A and thereflective surface 201B may be filled with dielectric material, forexample, and the height, h, between the partially reflective surface201A and the reflective surface 201B may be utilized to configure thefrequency of transmission of the leaky wave antennas 164. In anotherembodiment of the invention, an air gap may be integrated in the spacebetween the partially reflective surface 201A and the reflective surface201B to enable MEMS actuation. There is also shown(micro-electromechanical systems) MEMS bias voltages, +V_(MEMS) and−V_(MEMS).

The feed point 203 may comprise an input terminal for applying an inputvoltage to the leaky wave antennas 164. The invention is not limited toa single feed point 203, as there may be any amount of feed points fordifferent phases of signal or a plurality of signal sources, forexample, to be applied to the leaky wave antennas 164.

In an embodiment of the invention, the height, h, may be one-half thewavelength of the desired transmitted mode from the leaky wave antennas164. In this manner, the phase of an electromagnetic mode that traversesthe cavity twice may be coherent with the input signal at the feed point203, thereby configuring a resonant cavity known as a Fabry-Perotcavity. The magnitude of the resonant mode may decay exponentially inthe lateral direction from the feed point 203, thereby reducing oreliminating the need for confinement structures to the sides of theleaky wave antennas 164. The input impedance of the leaky wave antennas164 may be configured by the vertical placement of the feed point 203,as described further in FIG. 6.

In operation, a signal to be transmitted via a power amplifier in thetransceiver 152 may be communicated to the feed point 203 of the leakywave antennas 164 with a frequency f. The cavity height, h, may beconfigured to correlate to one half the wavelength of a harmonic of thesignal of frequency f. The signal may traverse the height of the cavityand may be reflected by the partially reflective surface 201A, and thentraverse the height back to the reflective surface 201B. Since the wavewill have traveled a distance corresponding to a full wavelength,constructive interference may result and a resonant mode may thereby beestablished.

Leaky wave antennas may enable the configuration of high gain antennaswithout the need for a large array of antennas which require a complexfeed network and suffer from loss due to feed lines. The leaky waveantennas 164 may be operable to transmit and/or receive wireless signalsvia conductive layers in and/or on the packages 167A-167D. In thismanner, the resonant frequency of the cavity may cover a wider range dueto the larger size of the packages 167A-167D, compared to the chip 162,without requiring large areas needed for conventional antennas andassociated circuitry. In addition, by integrating leaky wave antennas ina plurality of packages on one or more printed circuit boards, wirelesscommunication between packages may be enabled.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the frequency oftransmission and/or reception of the leaky wave antennas 164 may beconfigured by selecting one of the leaky wave antennas 164 with theappropriate cavity height for the desired frequency.

In another embodiment of the invention, the cavity height, h, may beconfigured by MEMS actuation. For example, the bias voltages +V_(MEMS)and −V_(MEMS) may deflect one or both of the reflective surfaces 201Aand 201B compared to zero bias, thereby configuring the resonantfrequency of the cavity.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a plan view of exemplarypartially reflective surfaces, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a partially reflectivesurface 300 comprising periodic slots in a metal surface, and apartially reflective surface 320 comprising periodic metal patches. Thepartially reflective surfaces 300/320 may comprise different embodimentsof the partially reflective surface 201A described with respect to FIG.2.

The spacing, dimensions, shape, and orientation of the slots and/orpatches in the partially reflective surfaces 300/320 may be utilized toconfigure the bandwidth, and thus Q-factor, of the resonant cavitydefined by the partially reflective surfaces 300/320 and a reflectivesurface, such as the reflective surface 201B, described with respect toFIG. 2. The partially reflective surfaces 300/320 may thus comprisefrequency selective surfaces due to the narrow bandwidth of signals thatmay leak out of the structure as configured by the slots and/or patches.

The spacing between the patches and/or slots may be related towavelength of the signal transmitted and/or received, which may besomewhat similar to beamforming with multiple antennas. The length ofthe slots and/or patches may be several times larger than the wavelengthof the transmitted and/or received signal or less, for example, sincethe leakage from the slots and/or regions surround the patches may addup, similar to beamforming with multiple antennas.

In an embodiment of the invention, the slots/patches may be configuredvia CMOS and/or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches, such asthe switches 165 described with respect to FIG. 1, to tune the Q of theresonant cavity. The slots and/or patches may be configured inconductive layers in and/or on the packages 167A-167D and may be shortedtogether or switched open utilizing the switches 165. In this manner, RFsignals, such as 60 GHz signals, for example, may be transmitted fromvarious locations without the need for additional circuitry andconventional antennas with their associated circuitry that requirevaluable chip space.

In another embodiment of the invention, the slots or patches may beconfigured in conductive layers in a vertical plane of the chip 162, thepackages 167A-167D, and/or the printed circuit board 171, therebyenabling the communication of wireless signals in a horizontal directionin the structure.

In another embodiment of the invention, the partially reflectivesurfaces 300/320 may be integrated in and/or on the packages 167A-167D.In this manner, different frequency signals may be transmitted and/orreceived. Accordingly, a partially reflective surface 300/320 integratedwithin the packages 167A-167D and a reflective surface 201B may transmitand/or receive signals at a higher frequency signal than from a resonantcavity defined by a partially reflective surface 300/320 on surface ofthe packages 167A-167D and a reflective surface 201B on the othersurface of the packages 167A-167D.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependence ofa leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a leaky wave antenna comprising thepartially reflective surface 201A, the reflective surface 201B, and thefeed point 203. In-phase condition 400 illustrates the relative beamshape transmitted by the leaky wave antenna 164 when the frequency ofthe signal communicated to the feed point 203 matches that of theresonant cavity as defined by the cavity height, h, and the dielectricconstant of the material between the reflective surfaces.

Similarly, out-of-phase condition 420 illustrates the relative beamshape transmitted by the leaky wave antenna 164 when the frequency ofthe signal communicated to the feed point 203 does not match that of theresonant cavity. The resulting beam shape may be conical, as opposed toa single main vertical node. These are illustrated further with respectto FIG. 5. The leaky wave antennas 164 may be integrated at variousheights in the packages 167A-167D, thereby providing a plurality oftransmission and reception sites in the packages 167A-167D with varyingresonant frequency.

By configuring the leaky wave antennas for in-phase and out-of-phaseconditions, signals possessing different characteristics may be directedout of the packages 167A-167D in desired directions, thereby enablingwireless communication between a plurality of packages. In an exemplaryembodiment of the invention, the angle at which signals may betransmitted by a leaky wave antenna may be dynamically controlled sothat signal may be directed to desired receiving leaky wave antennas. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164 may beoperable to receive RF signals, such as 60 GHz signals, for example. Thedirection in which the signals are received may be configured by thein-phase and out-of-phase conditions.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary in-phase andout-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a plot500 of transmitted signal beam shape versus angle, Θ, for the in-phaseand out-of-phase conditions for a leaky wave antenna.

The In-phase curve in the plot 500 may correlate to the case where thefrequency of the signal communicated to a leaky wave antenna matches theresonant frequency of the cavity. In this manner, a single vertical mainnode may result. In instances where the frequency of the signal at thefeed point is not at the resonant frequency, a double, or conical-shapednode may be generated as shown by the Out-of-phase curve in the plot500. By configuring the leaky wave antennas for in-phase andout-of-phase conditions, signals may be directed out of the chip 162,packages 167A-167D, and/or the printed circuit board 171 in desireddirections.

In another embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164 maybe operable to receive wireless signals, and may be configured toreceive from a desired direction via the in-phase and out-of-phaseconfigurations.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a leaky wave antenna withvariable input impedance feed points, in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a leaky waveantenna 600 comprising the partially reflective surface 201A and thereflective surface 201B. There is also shown feed points 601A-601C. Thefeed points 601A-601C may be located at different positions along theheight, h, of the cavity thereby configuring different impedance pointsfor the leaky wave antenna.

In this manner, a leaky wave antenna may be utilized to couple to aplurality of power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and/or othercircuitry with varying output or input impedances. Similarly, byintegrating leaky wave antennas in conductive layers in the packages167A-167D, the impedance of the leaky wave antenna may be matched to thepower amplifier or low-noise amplifier without impedance variations thatmay result with conventional antennas and their proximity or distance toassociated driver electronics. Similarly, by integrating reflective andpartially reflective surfaces with varying cavity heights and varyingfeed points, leaky wave antennas with different impedances and resonantfrequencies may be enabled. In an embodiment of the invention, theheights of the feed points 601A-601C may be configured by MEMSactuation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view ofcoplanar and microstrip waveguides, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a microstripwaveguide 720 and a coplanar waveguide 730 and a support structure 701.The microstrip waveguide 720 may comprise signal conductive lines 723, aground plane 725, a resonant cavity 711A, and an insulating layer 727.The coplanar waveguide 730 may comprise signal conductive lines 731 and733, a resonant cavity 711B, the insulating layer 727, and a multi-layersupport structure 701. The support structure 701 may comprise the chip162, the packages 167A-167D, and/or the printed circuit board 171.

The signal conductive lines 723, 731, and 733 may comprise metal tracesor layers deposited in and/or on the insulating layer 727. In anotherembodiment of the invention, the signal conductive lines 723, 731, and733 may comprise poly-silicon or other conductive material. Theseparation and the voltage potential between the signal conductive line723 and the ground plane 725 may determine the electric field generatedtherein. In addition, the dielectric constant of the insulating layer727 may also determine the electric field between the signal conductiveline 723 and the ground plane 725.

The resonant cavities 711A and 711B may comprise the insulating layer727, an air gap, or a combination of an air gap and the insulating layer727, thereby enabling MEMS actuation and thus frequency tuning.

The insulating layer 727 may comprise SiO₂ or other insulating materialthat may provide a high resistance layer between the signal conductiveline 723 and the ground plane 725, and the signal conductive lines 731and 733. In addition, the electric field between the signal conductiveline 723 and the ground plane 725 may be dependent on the dielectricconstant of the insulating layer 727.

The thickness and the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 727may determine the electric field strength generated by the appliedsignal. The resonant cavity thickness of a leaky wave antenna may bedependent on the spacing between the signal conductive line 723 and theground plane 725, or the signal conductive lines 731 and 733, forexample.

The signal conductive lines 731 and 733, and the signal conductive line723 and the ground plane 725 may define resonant cavities for leaky waveantennas. Each layer may comprise a reflective surface or a partiallyreflective surface depending on the pattern of conductive material. Forexample, a partially reflective surface may be configured by alternatingconductive and insulating material in a desired pattern. In this manner,signals may be directed out of, or received into, a surface of the chip162, the package 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171, asillustrated with the microstrip waveguide 720. In another embodiment ofthe invention, signals may be communicated in the horizontal plane ofthe chip 162, the packages 167A-167D, and/or the printed circuit board171 utilizing the coplanar waveguide 730.

The support structure 701 may provide mechanical support for themicrostrip waveguide 720, the coplanar waveguide 730, and other devicesthat may be integrated within. In another embodiment of the invention,the chip 162, the packages 167A-167D, and/or the printed circuit board171 may comprise Si, GaAs, sapphire, InP, GaO, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe,ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene, and/or Al₂O₃, for example, or anyother substrate material that may be suitable for integrating microstripstructures.

In operation, a bias and/or a signal voltage may be applied across thesignal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725, and/or the signalconductive lines 731 and 733. The thickness of a leaky wave antennaresonant cavity may be dependent on the distance between the conductivelines in the microstrip waveguide 720 and/or the coplanar transmissionwaveguide 730.

By alternating patches of conductive material with insulating material,or slots of conductive material in dielectric material, a partiallyreflective surface may result, which may allow a signal to “leak out” inthat direction, as shown by the Leaky Wave arrows in FIG. 7. In thismanner, wireless signals may be directed out of the surface plane of thesupport structure 710, or parallel to the surface of the supportstructure 710.

Similarly, by sequentially placing the conductive signal lines 731 and733 with different spacing, different cavity heights may result, andthus different resonant frequencies, thereby forming a distributed leakywave antenna. In this manner, a plurality of signals at differentfrequencies may be transmitted from, or received by, the distributedleaky wave antenna.

By integrating the conductive signal lines 731 and 733 and the groundplane 725 in the packages 167A-167D, wireless communication between thepackages 167A-167D may be enabled. Wireless signals may be communicatedbetween packages in the horizontal or vertical planes depending on whichtype of leaky wave antenna is enabled, such as a coplanar or microstripstructure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an integratedcircuit package with integrated leaky wave antennas, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown thepackage 167, metal layers 801A-801J, solder balls 803, an interconnectlayer 805, thermal epoxy 807, coplanar leaky wave antennas 809A-809C,and microstrip leaky wave antennas 811A and 811B. The chip 162 and theprinted circuit board 171 may be as described previously.

The chip 162, or integrated circuit, may comprise one or more componentsand/or systems within the wireless system 150. The chip 162 may bebump-bonded or flip-chip bonded to the package 167 utilizing the solderballs 803. In this manner, wire bonds connecting the chip 162 to thepackage 167 may be eliminated, thereby reducing and/or eliminatinguncontrollable stray inductances due to wire bonds, for example. Inaddition, the thermal conductance out of the chip 162 may be greatlyimproved utilizing the solder balls 803 and the thermal epoxy 807. Thethermal epoxy 807 may be electrically insulating but thermallyconductive to allow for thermal energy to be conducted out of the chip162 to the much larger thermal mass of the package 167.

The metal layers 801A-801J may comprise deposited metal layers utilizedto delineate leaky wave antennas in and/or on the package 167. The metallayers 801A-801J may be utilized to define leaky wave antennas on thepackage 167. In an embodiment of the invention, the spacing betweenpairs of metal layers, for example 801A and 801B, 801C and 801D, and801E and 801F, may define a resonant cavity of a leaky wave antenna withcavity heights determined by the spacing between the metal layers. Inthis regard, a partially reflective surface, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,for example, may enable the resonant electromagnetic mode in the cavityto leak out from that surface. In this manner, leaky wave antennas maybe operable to communicate wireless signals via a digital RF bus betweenthe package 167 to leaky wave antennas in other packages or structuressuch as other chips or printed circuit boards. In this manner, wirelessdigital RF bus communication may be provided between a plurality ofpackages.

The metal layers 801A-801J may comprise a coplanar and/or a microstripstructure as described with respect to FIG. 7. The interconnect layer805 may comprise a layer and/or trace of conductive material that mayprovide electrical contact to leaky wave antennas and other layersand/or devices in the package 167.

The number of metal layers are not limited to the number of metal layers801A-801J shown in FIG. 8. Accordingly, there may be any number oflayers embedded within and/or on the package 167, depending on thenumber of leaky wave antennas, traces, waveguides and other devicesfabricated within and/or on the package 167.

The solder balls 803 may comprise spherical balls of metal to provideelectrical, thermal and physical contact between the chip 162, thepackage 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171. In making the contactwith the solder balls 803, the chip 162 and/or the package 167 may bepressed with enough force to squash the metal spheres somewhat, and maybe performed at an elevated temperature to provide suitable electricalresistance and physical bond strength. The thermal epoxy 807 may fillthe volume between the solder balls 803 and may provide a high thermalconductance path for heat transfer out of the chip 162.

In operation, the chip 162 may comprise an RF front end, such as the RFtransceiver 152, described with respect to FIG. 1, and may be utilizedto transmit and/or receive RF signals, at 60 GHz, for example. The chip162 may be electrically coupled to the package 167. In instances wherehigh frequency signals, 60 GHz or greater, for example, may becommunicated from blocks or sections in the chip 162, leaky waveantennas may be utilized. Accordingly, the leaky wave antennascomprising the metal layers 801A-801J integrated on or within thepackage 167 may be enabled to communicate signals from various regionsor sections within the chip 162 to other packages or chips.Additionally, by utilizing a plurality of leaky wave antennas withconfigurable direction of transmission and/or reception, beam-formingmay be enabled, thereby directing a desired beam shape at a desiredleaky wave antenna or antennas for communication.

Heat from the chip 162 may be conducted to the package 167 via thethermal epoxy 807 and the solder balls 803. In an embodiment of theinvention, the metal layers 801A-801F may be configured at differentheights in the package 167 enabling the configuration of leaky waveantennas with different resonant frequencies.

The leaky wave antennas 809A-809C and 811A and 811B comprising the metallayers 801A-801J may be configured by adjusting the spacing between thepairs of metal layers comprising a resonant cavity, and may beconfigurable via MEMS actuation, as described with respect to FIG. 2.Accordingly, the cavity height of a leaky wave antenna may be defined bya MEMS switch such that applying a bias may increase or decrease thespacing, thereby further configuring the resonant frequency of the leakywave antenna. In addition, the slots and/or patches in the metal layercomprising a partially reflective surface for the leaky wave antenna,may be configured via one or more switches, which may alter the Q-factorof the cavity. In this manner, the communication parameters of leakywave antennas integrated into the package 167 may be configured for aplurality of applications.

The integration of leaky wave antennas in the package 167, may result inthe reduction of stray impedances when compared to wire-bondedconnections to devices on printed circuit boards as in conventionalsystems, particularly for higher frequencies, such as 60 GHz. In thismanner, volume requirements may be reduced and performance may beimproved due to lower losses and accurate control of impedances viaswitches in the chip 162 or on the package 167, for example.

Coplanar leaky wave antennas, such as the leaky wave antennas 809A-809Cmay be operable to transmit and receive wireless signals in thehorizontal plane with respect to the package 167, whereas coplanar leakywave antennas such as the leaky wave antennas 811A and 811B maycommunicate signals in a vertical direction with respect to the package167. In addition, the angle of transmission and/or reception may betuned, as described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. In this manner,wireless communication may be enabled in a nearly any direction, therebyproviding communication between packages throughout the wireless device150, regardless whether the packages are integrated on the printedcircuit board 171 or other circuit boards.

In addition, leaky wave antennas may be operable to communicate signalsfrom one type of antenna to another. For example, a signal to becommunicated from the chip 162 may be communicated by the solder ballsto the leaky wave antenna 811B, which may communicate the signal to theleaky wave antenna 811A. By utilizing coupled metal layers 801A and 801Ccomprising reflective surfaces of the leaky wave antennas 811A and 809A,the signal received by the leaky wave antenna 811A may then becommunicated by the leaky wave antenna 809A to devices external to thepackage 167.

In another embodiment of the invention, signals to be communicated viathe leaky wave antennas 809A-809C and 811A and 811B may be received fromleaky wave antennas in the chip 162 as opposed to receiving then via thesolder balls 803.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating package-to-package wireless RFdigital bus communication utilizing leaky wave antennas, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 9, there is shownthe printed circuit board 171 and a printed circuit board 901. Theprinted circuit board 171 may be as described with respect to FIG. 1 andmay comprise the packages 167A-167D. The printed circuit board 901 maybe substantially similar to the printed circuit board 171 and maycomprise the packages 903A-903C.

The packages 167A-167D may be as described previously, and the packages903A-903C may be substantially similar to the packages 167A-167D. Thepackages 167A-167D and 903A-903C may comprise leaky wave antennas thatmay be operable to communicate wireless signals via an RF digital busbetween the packages and may be configured to communicate in a pluralityof directions. In this manner, a leaky wave antenna in a particularpackage may be operable to communicate with a plurality of packagesusing a single leaky antenna or by utilizing a plurality of leaky waveantennas, thereby providing communication via a wireless RF digital bus.

Wireless communication via leaky wave antennas may enable thecommunication of high frequency signals, 60 GHz, for example, betweendevices in the wireless device 150, and/or to devices external to thewireless device 150. Utilizing leaky wave antennas may reduce oreliminate the need for lossy conductive lines to communicate signalsbetween devices, chips, packages, and/or printed circuit boards.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary steps for wirelesscommunication via leaky wave antennas integrated in integrated circuitpackages, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIG. 10, in step 1003 after start step 1001, one or more leaky waveantennas integrated in metal layers on a package may be configured for adesired frequency via MEMS deflection or by selection of one or moreleaky wave antennas with an appropriate cavity height in the package,for example, may adjust the Q of the cavity via shorting and/or openingslots or patches in the partially reflective surface, and/or mayconfigure the direction of transmission/and/or reception of the leakywave antennas. In step 1005, high frequency signals may be communicatedto the leaky wave antennas via the traces in the package and/or bumpbonds that couple the chip to the package. In step 1007, the highfrequency signals may be transmitted between leaky wave antennas in aplurality of packages in the wireless device 150. In step 1009, ininstances where the wireless device 150 is to be powered down, theexemplary steps may proceed to end step 1011. In step 1009, in instanceswhere the wireless device 150 is not to be powered down, the exemplarysteps may proceed to step 1003 to configure the leaky wave antenna at adesired frequency/Q-factor/direction of transmission and/or reception.

In an embodiment of the invention, a method and system are disclosed forcommunicating wireless RF signals between integrated circuit packages167A-167D and 903A-903C in a wireless device 150 utilizing leaky waveantennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C, 811A, and 811B integrated inmetal layers 723, 731, 733, 725, 801A-801J in the plurality ofintegrated circuit packages 167A-167D and 903A-903C. A resonantfrequency of the leaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C,811A, and 811B may be configured utilizing micro-electro-mechanicalsystems (MEMS) deflection. A plurality of the leaky wave antennas 164,600, 720, 730, 809A-809C, 811A, and 811B may be configured to enablebeam-forming. The leaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C,811A, and 811B may comprise microstrip waveguides 720 wherein a cavityheight of the leaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C, 811A,and 811B is dependent on a spacing between conductive lines 723 and 725in the microstrip waveguides 720.

The leaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C, 811A, and 811Bmay comprise coplanar waveguides 730, wherein a cavity height of theleaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730, 809A-809C, 811A, and 811B isdependent on a spacing between conductive lines 731 and 733 in thecoplanar waveguides 730. The leaky wave antennas 164, 600, 720, 730,809A-809C, 811A, and 811B may be configured to transmit the wirelesssignals at a desired angle from a surface of the integrated circuitpackages 167A-167D and 903A-903C. The integrated circuit packages167A-167D and 903A-903C may be affixed to one or more printed circuitboards 171, 901. An integrated circuit 162 may be flip-chip-bonded toone or more of the integrated circuit packages 167A-167D and 903A-903C.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computerreadable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machinereadable medium and/or storage medium, having stored thereon, a machinecode and/or a computer program having at least one code sectionexecutable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machineand/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for wirelesscommunication utilizing on-package leaky wave antennas.

Accordingly, aspects of the invention may be realized in hardware,software, firmware or a combination thereof. The invention may berealized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system or ina distributed fashion where different elements are spread across severalinterconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or otherapparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein issuited. A typical combination of hardware, software and firmware may bea general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, whenbeing loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that itcarries out the methods described herein.

One embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a boardlevel product, as a single chip, application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), or with varying levels integrated on a single chip with otherportions of the system as separate components. The degree of integrationof the system will primarily be determined by speed and costconsiderations. Because of the sophisticated nature of modernprocessors, it is possible to utilize a commercially availableprocessor, which may be implemented external to an ASIC implementationof the present system. Alternatively, if the processor is available asan ASIC core or logic block, then the commercially available processormay be implemented as part of an ASIC device with various functionsimplemented as firmware.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext may mean, for example, any expression, in any language, code ornotation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having aninformation processing capability to perform a particular functioneither directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversionto another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a differentmaterial form. However, other meanings of computer program within theunderstanding of those skilled in the art are also contemplated by thepresent invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiments disclosed, but that the present inventionwill include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A method for communication, the method comprising: communicatingwireless signals via a radio frequency (RF) digital bus betweenintegrated circuit packages in a wireless device utilizing leaky waveantennas integrated in one or more metal layers in said plurality ofintegrated circuit packages.
 2. The method according to claim 1,comprising configuring a resonant frequency of said leaky wave antennasutilizing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) deflection.
 3. Themethod according to claim 1, comprising configuring a plurality of saidleaky wave antennas to enable beam-forming.
 4. The method according toclaim 1, wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise microstripwaveguides.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a cavity heightof said leaky wave antennas is dependent on spacing between conductivelines in said microstrip waveguides.
 6. The method according to claim 1,wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise coplanar waveguides.
 7. Themethod according to claim 6, wherein a cavity height of said leaky waveantennas is dependent on spacing between conductive lines in saidcoplanar waveguides.
 8. The method according to claim 1, comprisingconfiguring said leaky wave antennas to transmit said wireless signalsat a desired angle from a surface of said integrated circuit packages.9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said integrated circuitpackages are affixed to one or more printed circuit boards.
 10. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein an integrated circuit isflip-chip-bonded to one or more of said integrated circuit packages. 11.A system for enabling communication, the system comprising: in awireless device comprising leaky wave antennas in a plurality ofintegrated circuit packages, said wireless device is operable to:communicate wireless signals via a radio frequency (RF) digital busbetween said integrated circuit packages utilizing said leaky waveantennas, wherein said leaky wave antennas are integrated in one or moremetal layers in said plurality of integrated circuit packages.
 12. Thesystem according to claim 11, wherein said wireless device is operableto configure a resonant frequency of said leaky wave antennas utilizingmicro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) deflection.
 13. The systemaccording to claim 11, wherein said wireless device is operable toconfigure a plurality of said leaky wave antennas to enablebeam-forming.
 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said leakywave antennas comprise microstrip waveguides.
 15. The system accordingto claim 14, wherein a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas isdependent on spacing between conductive lines in said microstripwaveguides.
 16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said leakywave antennas comprise coplanar waveguides.
 17. The system according toclaim 16, wherein a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas isdependent on spacing between conductive lines in said coplanarwaveguides.
 18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said wirelessdevice is operable to configure configuring said leaky wave antennas totransmit said wireless signals at a desired angle from a surface of saidintegrated circuit packages.
 19. The system according to claim 11,wherein said integrated circuit packages are affixed to one or moreprinted circuit boards.
 20. The system according to claim 11, wherein anintegrated circuit is flip-chip-bonded to one or more of said integratedcircuit packages.